Akuma Love
by Military-SweetHeart
Summary: Chimei is the head of the Akuma clan, also known as the Demon Clan by many. When her cousin comes home one night with a frightened Sakura, she makes the quick decision of adopting the sweet girl. When she decides to move her clan to Konoha in order to allow Sakura to be a ninja, she never expected Sakura to fall for her teammates, and she definitely didn't expect to fall for Ibiki.
1. Chapter 1

_AN: Please enjoy this little, slightly creepy, creation of mine._

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><p><span><strong>Chapter One: Chimei-tekina Adopts a Daughter<strong>

"Ryuketsu, are you serious?" Chimei-tekina asked, resisting the urge to rub her temples. Sitting before her was her ten year old cousin, looking years older than he really was due to the serious look in his eyes. She looked him over, noting that his usual messy red hair was even messier, and darker looking. She could only assume that he had run into some trouble while visiting Konohagakure. His bright red eyes, normally shining with mischief, were empty and cold. Yes, he had most definitely run into trouble.

Trouble that had ended in death, if his darker than usual hair was anything to go by.

"I am, Chimei-neechan." Chimei blinked. Ryuketsu never called her by her first name, always preferring to call her Mei-neechan. Even in clan meetings. He liked to think that they were close enough for him to get away with it, and he was right. Due to their relationship, she always let him call her that, despite their grandmother's stern reprimands.

"Were there any survivors...besides the girl?" Chimei asked, hoping that the little girl that Ryuketsu had brought back wasn't the only survivor. She prayed that her instinct wasn't right.

"...No...I checked every...person thoroughly. The attackers hadn't left anyone alive, besides the girl." Ryuketsu stated. Despite his age, he was an experienced killer. Everyone in his clan that was eight and older was a natural killer. It was in their nature. Well, except for his little siblings. Sairento and Ueta were only seven, so they were not included.

"Explain everything. From the minute you found the caravan all the way up to when you arrived back." Chimei calmly stated, wondering if she should send a messenger crow out to Konoha's Hokage, to inform him of the unfortunate situation. She wanted guidance from an experienced leader to point her in the right direction. Ryuketsu sighed to himself, closing his eyes and started to explain everything. He knew Chimei was only doing this so she would make the right decision, but dammit, that didn't mean he wanted to give a detailed mission report, especially when he couldn't remember everything down to the last detail. But for his clan leader, he would try his best.

"I left Konoha's gates promptly at seven this evening. With my previous mission finished, I headed in the immediate direction of the clan village. By eight this evening, I was two hours away from the village. My journey was quiet, uneventful, until nine this evening. I was near the main road, when I came across the smell of burning flesh and old blood. I stopped and sensed around me, expecting an ambush. When I found nothing but animals, I immediately left the cover of the trees and landed in front of the a burning wagon. The burning flesh came from the horses," Ryuketsu watched Chimei's eyes narrow. She hated animal abuse with everything in her being. "Strewn across the road were dead bodies. I checked everyone I found for a pulse, even a weak one. I found none. I repeated this process, until I came to the middle wagon. It was relatively unharmed. There were a few arrows sticking out from the door, which informed me that the attack had been a planned ambush. When I looked at a few bodies again, I noticed that they all had a few arrows in them as well." Ryuketsu sighed, wondering if he should really continue. When he heard Chimei adjust her position, he realized that he really didn't have to. However, he still did. "The middle wagon, while intact, led me to believe this was the actual target and the others were simply damage control. I approached it from the side and quickly opened the door, expecting to find nothing but dead bodies. What I found instead, was a surprise. I found a little girl, being shielded by, what I assumed her parents', dead bodies. It seemed the arrows had reached them. The little girl was shivering and looked terrified. She had bright pink hair and large green eyes. Her forehead was slightly larger than normal, and her skin was pale. She looked at me and asked for help. I quickly picked her up and told her I would protect her until we got back to my clan's village. She said that she was scared of 'bad men coming back for her'. I told her I would kill them before they could even see her. She promptly fell asleep." Ryuketsu stated, shutting his mouth and patiently waiting for Chimei to make her decision. He didn't have to wait long.

"I want to see this girl." She said, before rising gracefully and quietly, which always made Ryuketsu curious. As tradition called for it, Chimei was wearing three layers of kimonos. Her first layer, which he could only see the collar of, was a stark white with a black pattern of waves. Her second layer was only visible near her hands, where her sleeves pooled around her small hands. It was a solid light pink, which complimented the third layer, which was the most visible one of all. Near the top, it was a bright red that began to fade to a solid black after it passed her waist. The ends of her long sleeves sported the same coloring. There wasn't a pattern on the outer layer, but that was fine. Chimei rather disliked wearing kimonos, as they only got in her way. Her obi was a solid white, with a light pink bow in the middle. The ends of the obi had swirls of light blue stitching.

Chimei's straight, ink black hair was braided and thrown over her shoulder, making her appear relaxed, lazy even to those that couldn't see the steel in her bright blue eyes. Her ivory skin completed her overall look, which was supposed to mimic that of a feudal princess. Overall, Chimei hated it. She would rather be wearing something...more relaxing.

However, tradition required that she and every other clan member must wear kimonos and yukatas while on clan grounds. A fucking stupid rule, if you asked her.

Ryuketsu got up and left the formal dinning room, sliding open the door before leading Chimei down the hall. He took a left and headed towards the guest rooms, before stopping in front of the first one on the right. Chimei nodded her thanks before sliding the door open, finding a bare room with a small table and cushion in the corner, a dresser, another door leading to the bathroom, and a large futon in the middle of the room. Chimei saw the little girl sleeping on the futon, curled into a tight ball with the covers pulled up to her chin. Her bright pink hair was splayed across the large pillow. All in all, she looked positively tiny. As Chimei took a few steps towards the girl, she noticed the slightly larger forehead and the pale skin. Well, she wouldn't call her skin pale. Her skin was more like Chimei's; an ivory coloring that looked quite lovely when matched with her unusual hair color.

Chimei gestured for Ryuketsu to come in and close the door. Once he had joined her side, she immediately sat down and closed her eyes, patiently waiting for the girl to wake up. Ryuketsu followed her example, well somewhat. He chose to watch the little girl sleep, wondering what his older cousin and clan leader would do with her. Part of him thought Chimei would inform the Hokage and let the old man deal with her, while the rest of him wanted Chimei to adopt the little girl. He wouldn't mind having another sister around, and with the way Chimei was acting, he was pretty sure she wanted a little sister as well. Or maybe even a daughter.

He blinked.

Chimei, while being 14, was the clan leader, he wasn't sure she was ready to be a mother, just yet. Yeah, she helped raise him and his siblings when her parents and his died four years ago, but that didn't mean she should become a mother. Then again, if she were to marry and have children of her own, he may end up hating them.

He internally sighed, he seemed to be doing that a lot.

"Ryu~" Chimei called out, catching his attention.

"Huh?" Was his intelligent response.

"Did you catch the girl's name?"

"Ah, uh, not really. She didn't say much, and I didn't really ask." He said, rubbing the back of his head. Chimei nodded before whacking the side of his head with her concealed fan. He winced and rubbed the spot, before sticking his tongue out at her and glaring. She gave a smile and returned her attention to the sleeping girl.

Ryuketsu was many things, but he was still a ten year old boy.

A few minutes passed quietly, before Chimei noticed the girl scrunch her eyebrows together. That was the first sign that she was waking up. Ryuketsu noticed and straightened his back, wanting to make a good impression with the girl. After all, she may just end up joining the clan if Chimei likes her enough.

When the little girl opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was the boy who had found her. His bright red hair was still messy, and his red eyes still made her nervous. She had never seen red eyes before, only read about them in books. And they usually accompanied demons. She hoped this boy wasn't a demon, and that he wouldn't devour her whole.

The next thing she noticed, was the woman next to him. She didn't look that much older than the boy, maybe four or five years older. And she was really pretty. Bright blue eyes that softened when they met the girl's gaze, bright red lips, pretty black hair, and ivory skin like hers. The little girl found that she liked this woman. She seemed really nice, even if she hadn't done anything yet.

"Hello," the woman said softly. She had a really nice voice. It was soft and warm, like her mother's. At the thought of her mother, the girl's eyes filled with tears. A few fell. The woman saw this and quickly lifted the girl up and into her arms. The girl was surprised, but didn't really care. She snuggled into the woman's chest and began to cry, letting the woman comfort her. She hadn't seen the boy's terrified look at her sudden crying, thankfully. He didn't need her thinking he was scared of her, or something.

Chimei held the girl in her arms, letting her cry into her kimono. She didn't really care if the thing was ruined by the girl's tears.

"It's alright, the nightmare is over. You're safe," she said, hoping to soothe the girl by rubbing small circles on the girl's back. That seemed to be the trick, because next thing she knew, the girl was sniffing and wiping her tears away with her hands. Chimei smiled, letting her take all the time she needed to compose herself.

If Chimei had to be honest, she had been surprised at how bright the girl's eyes had been, and just how innocent they looked when they latched onto her. Chimei had also been surprised when she had quickly started to cry the moment she had greeted her. That hadn't been expected. And a little scary, if she were to be honest. However, used to having three cousins do the same thing when they've been pushed to far, Chimei was able to react calmly and quickly.

"Do you mind telling me your name, sweet one?" Chimei asked, keeping her smile in place. The little girl nodded.

"S-Sakura."  
>"I'm Chimei-tekina. This is Ryuketsu."<p>

Sakura turned her head to look at Ryuketsu. A name for a face. Ryuketsu gave her a toothy grin and waved his hand a little, before scooting over to be closer.

"Hi, Sakura-chan!" Ryuketsu called out in greeting, even though she was right there. Sakura blushed from the sudden honorific and tried to bury her head into Chimei's chest. Ryuketsu laughed at her shyness. He found her adorable, even though he barely knew her. However, that didn't stop him from adding the 'chan' to her name.

"Ryu, you don't have to shout. She's right here." Chimei said, laughing lightly as Ryu began to pout. She swears, her cousin was bipolar. One moment he's all calm and serious, the next he's acting like an excited puppy.

"Mou, she's so cute, Mei-neechan. I can't help it." He said, making Sakura giggle as he continued to pout. When they realized she had, she blushed and hid her face. Ryu grinned before poking her. He wanted her to giggle again, even if he got hit by Chimei. Again.

"I-It's okay, Chimei-tekina-san. I d-don't mind, really." Sakura said softly, making Chimei look down at her. Ryu was right, she was downright adorable, with her shy nature and doll-like appearance. Chimei smiled brighter, making Ryu stop and stare in wonder. He's never seen his cousin so happy in so long.

"Call me Mei-kaachan, Sakura." Chimei said, making Sakura look up at her in wonder as well. Before Sakura could say anything, she yawned and blinked sleepily. Chimei nodded to Ryu. She moved forward and laid Sakura back down on the futon, before covering her up. She tucked the little girl in, smoothing her hair before getting up and following after Ryu. Ryu closed the door and followed Chimei as she headed towards the formal dining room. She didn't say anything, just slid open the door and went straight for the small table near the back. She grabbed a small scroll and a brush, before going through the process of dipping it in black ink. Ryu simply sat in front of her, waiting for her to say something about what had just happened. When she didn't say anything, he groaned. He was tired and wanted to sleep.

"I'm going to adopt little Sakura." Chimei said, after she had finished writing. She laid the brush down next to the scroll, looking at her cousin. She searched his face for any objection to her decision. She found none.

"As a sister, or...?" Ryu let his question trail off.

"As a daughter. She will need someone to guide her in the ways of the clan. While I'm certain Jentoru-baasama would be perfect for the job, I would much rather do it myself." Chimei explained. Ryu nodded before giving her a toothy grin.

"Baa-sama won't be too happy you did this without telling her."

"She can deal." Was Chimei's response. She yawned and sat up, walking towards an open window. She whistled loudly, before a crow appeared on the window sill. It blinked and look at her. The crow looked like any normal crow, unless you took in the fact that it was two times bigger and had a third eye in the center, right above the other two.

"Yes, Mei-sama?" The crow called out, blinking slowly as it took in its master. Chimei handed the crow the scroll.

"Please deliver this to the Third Hokage, tonight. Once done, I want you back in the village. Do not be seen by anyone who is not a clan member. Understood?" She instructed. The crow allowed her to attach the scroll to its back, before nodding and taking off into the night. It wasn't long before the crow blended into the night. Chimei knew he wouldn't be spotted, but she didn't want him to take any risks.

"It's a shame regular people would try and hurt him, ne?" Ryu asked, leaning against the doorway. Chimei nodded. She kept watching the night, not wanting to leave until her crow was safely back. "Relax, Mei-neechan. Nothing will happen to Ebony-san."

"And if something does?"

"Then you'll kill them and make sure people learn to never hurt another Akuma again." Ryu stated, before heading off towards his room. He was tired, and wanted to sleep until tomorrow afternoon.

Chimei, however, stayed rooted to the spot. She would stay there until the early hours of the morning, with the Hokage's scroll in her hand. She would stay there until Jentoru-baasama came in to prepare breakfast for the family, making sure to add an extra plate for Sakura-chan. She would stay there, a smile on her face as she reread the Hokage's approval of her sudden adoption. She knew there was a reason she liked the old man.


	2. Chapter 2

_AN: Please enjoy this little, slightly creepy, creation of mine._

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><p><span><strong>Chapter Two: A Lesson in History<br>**

When little Sakura woke up the next morning, feeling refreshed, she was surprised to find another girl sitting in the same room as her. This one had the same red hair and red eyes as the boy, but she looked closer to Sakura's age. Her skin was the same color as her brother's; Sakura simply assumed they were siblings since they looked the same. Nervous and slightly scared about who this pretty girl was, Sakura tried to crawl back under the covers to hide. However, the other girl must have noticed her, because she immediately smiled and jumped down onto the futon next to her, almost squishing poor Sakura.

"Hi! I'm Sairento! You must be Sakura, the girl Ryu-niikun brought back last night! Wow, you're so pretty! Are you a doll? 'Cause you look like one!" Sairento said in one breath, her smile growing by the second as she waited for Sakura to respond.

"H-Hi." She stuttered out, making Sairento squeal in delight.

"You're so adorable!" Sairento said, before grabbing Sakura's hand and pulling her off the bed and into another room connected to hers. She quickly found out this room was a bathroom.

"Um, Sairento-san?" Sakura asked, grabbing the other girl's attention. Again, she squealed at how cute Sakura was before hugging the girl tightly.

"Call me Sai-neechan, alright? None of this 'san' stuff, okay?" Sakura nodded slowly, wondering why everyone in this house wanted her to be so friendly with her. Surely they would realize that she was a freak because of her hair and forehead. Neither were normal, as all her bullies had constantly told her when they would pick on her. The fact that she was bullied so regularly was the whole reason why her parents decided to move back to the Land of Snow, where she would grow up learning the ways of her family's business in not only the merchant circles, but also in the noble circles as well. She had simply been happy to move away from her bullies. However, that also meant moving away from her best friend, Shino. He had always been nice to her, even helped her with her scrapes and cuts now and then.

While Sakura was busy thinking about her only friend, Sairento had proceeded to grab some clothes for the adorable child. Already she could tell why Mei-neechan would want to adopt her. She was such a sweet girl, and shy as well. Sairento was just happy to have a little sister to play with, even though Mei-neechan was pretty great. But she was the clan head, so she was always busy making sure everyone was happy and healthy, and that all the clan summons were staying in line. Not to mention, all the lesser clan summons who couldn't return to their world unless they were killed had to be taken care of.

"S-Sai-neechan?" Sakura asked, stuttering as she looked at the clothes Sairento wanted her to wear.

"Yes, Sakura-chan?"

"Why are you all being so nice to me?"

"Didn't Mei-neechan tell you last night?"

"Tell me what?" Sakura asked, shuffling her feet a little in order to calm her nerves.

"Mei-neechan wrote the Third Hokage last night, explaining everything. She then told him she was going to adopt you as her daughter, because she couldn't imagine ever putting you in an orphanage. She doesn't even want your family to have you, seeing as how no one has bothered to look for you." Sairento explained, holding up the two layered kimono for Sakura to look at. The bottom layer was a simple solid white with a slightly high collar. On the collar were bright green leaves that looked liked they were falling into nothing as they faded back to white. The second layer, the top, was a dark green with pooling sleeves that faded to a light green. Sakura touched the fabric delicately, like it was going to break if she applied too much pressure.

"I-is this mine?" Sakura asked. Sai-neechan nodded her head vigorously, a bright smile lighting up her face. Sakura gave a shy smile back. Sairento squealed as she jumped a few times in excitement.

"Yay! I knew you would like this! After all, Mei-neechan told me to pick something out that would make you look adorable!" Sai-neechan exclaimed, handing the beautiful outfit to Sakura. She quickly left the bathroom, saying something about forgetting a few things in her room. Sakura just stared at the spot where Sairento had just been, wondering if she ate nothing but sugar for breakfast. At the thought of food, Sakura's stomach gave a loud growl. Her ears turned a bright red.

Shaking her head to ignore the hunger, she stripped and quickly pulled the kimonos on, marveling at how smooth and soft they felt. She was pretty sure it was made out of high-end silk, which was very expensive if she remembered correctly.

Once she was done, she patiently waited for Sairento to come back with whatever she had forgotten. She didn't have to wait long, as the girl came running back in a kimono that matched with Sakura's. Her bottom layer was a dark green with a high collar that had black dragons running up and down the length, and the top layer was a bright green with black grass sprouting up from the bottom. Sairento's obi was a bright, clean white tied into a neat bow, with a black ribbon tied in the middle. Sakura noticed how all the kimonos had pooling sleeves, hiding Sairento's hands. She wondered if it was because they were a noble clan, or if they were a rare shinobi clan. Sairento quickly looked Sakura over before nodding in approval, then began to wrap a black obi around her tiny waist, giggling when she had to make an extra large bow. She had grabbed one of her own, forgetting that Sakura was smaller and the extra fabric might trip her up. So, she simply made the bow bigger, giggling as it made Sakura look even more doll like. Satisfied with the obi, she pulled out a white ribbon and tied it in the front before standing back to look at her handiwork.

Nodding her head again, Sairento grabbed Sakura's hand and pulled her out of her room and into the hallway. Sairento closed the door then grabbed her hand again and began to lead her away.

"Sai-neechan, where are we going?"

"To get some breakfast. Normally we all eat at dawn, but Mei-neechan decided to let you sleep in and told everyone breakfast would be later."

"Oh." Sakura said, feeling guilty about making everyone have to wait for her. "What time is it?"

"Eight in the morning." Sairento said, smiling down at the little girl who had quickly earned a place in Sairento's heart. What could she say? She liked adorable things, and Sakura was the most adorable person she had ever seen.

"How old are you Sai-neechan?"

"I'm seven. I have a twin, he's Ueta. He looks a lot like Ryu-niikun, just smaller and younger. You'll like him. He doesn't talk much, but he's nice once you get him to talk."

"Oh. H-How old is M-Mei-kaachan?" Sakura asked, blushing a little. Her mother had always told her to never ask a woman's age unless she wanted to offend the woman. Sairento didn't seem to take any offense to the question though, so Mei-kaachan must've been pretty young.

"She's 14."

"Nani?!" Sakura yelled out, stopping in the middle of the hall and looking confused. "B-But she's so young!"

"Yeah, she is. Mei-neechan inherited the position of clan head after her parents died when she was ten. My parents died with hers."

"Oh, I-I'm sorry. I-I didn't know." Sakura, said quietly, feeling ashamed for making Sai-neechan talk about her parents.

"I was only three when they died, so I don't really miss them. Though Mei-neechan always gets really sad every year on their anniversary. I think it's because she misses them, a lot."

"Oh." Sakura said, again. She got quiet as she went over everything she had just learned and thought that Mei-kaachan was adopting her because she knew what it was like to lose parents at a young age. She was stirred from her thoughts by Sai-neechan poking her cheek.

"Ne, Sakura, how old are you?" She asked, her brows together in curiosity.

"I-I'm four." Sakura whispered as she heard someone shouting about being hungry. She quickly moved behind Sairento as she slid open the door to the dining room. Sakura peeked around Sai-neechan in order to see who was shouting. She saw that it was Ryu-niikun. He was glaring at Mei-kaachan, who simply raised an eyebrow before turning her head to see who had arrived at last.

"Ah, Sai-chan. Just in time, too. Did you bring Sakura-chan?" Chimei asked, smiling softly as Sakura nervously stepped away from Sairento in order to bow respectfully towards Chimei. She looked confused, wondering why the sweet little girl was bowing. Then it clicked and she giggled softly, hiding her mouth behind her long sleeves. Sakura noticed that Mei-kaachan was wearing three layer kimono. The bottom layer was a solid back with a slightly high collar. The second layer was a dark blue that could only be seen when she moved her sleeves, that also pooled around her hands. Sakura safely assumed that all kimonos in this house had pooling sleeves. Her top layer was a light blue that matched her eyes. The stitching was done in a clean white that depicted Koi fish swimming around in waves that were stitched in a dark blue that matched her second layer. Mei-kaachan's hair was done in a small topknot with the rest falling down her back. A senbon held her top knot in place. It was such a simply hair decoration, and yet, something in Sakura told her that it was more than that. That it could be used as a weapon as well.

"Morning Mei-neechan!" Sairento chirped, immediately going to one side of the table and taking a seat. She sat next to a boy who looked just like her. Sakura deduced that that was Ueta, Sairento's twin. Sakura had to admit, he did look like a smaller, younger version of Ryu-niikun. Who just still glaring at Mei-kaachan.

"Good morning Sakura-chan. Please, come sit by me. We've all been waiting for you." Chimei said softly, a smile gracing her lips. They were still a bright red. She wondered if they were naturally like that. Sakura would feel better if she wasn't the only one with something unnatural about her. Sakura shuffled over to Chimei, keeping her head bowed. She said something so softly that no one could hear her. "Speak up, Sakura-chan." Chimei chided gently. Sakura lifted her head up and the expression she was giving made Chimei want to pull her into a tight hug. However, she refrained from doing so. She didn't want to stop the girl from explaining herself.

"I'm s-sorry for making you w-wait to e-eat." She said, looking down to hide her face. However, since she couldn't control her emotions, Chimei was able to see the sadness and guilt in her eyes quite clearly.

"What do you mean?" Chimei asked, shooting a 'shut-up' look to Ryuketsu who had opened his mouth to speak. Everyone in the family knew he wasn't the nicest person to deal with in the morning, hence why Chimei chose Sairento to fetch little Sakura.

"Sai-neechan said that you all normally eat at dawn." Sakura said, her voice coming out clear and strong. For once, she didn't feel nervous or shy. Maybe it had to do with Chimei always being so nice? Or maybe it was because Sakura wasn't expected to do anything but show up.

"Ah. That's why." Chimei said, before patting the spot next to her. Sakura looked confused but sat down nonetheless. Her stomach was still demanding food, so she felt it was a good idea to eat something. If only to get the attention off of her. "What else did Sai-chan tell you?" Chimei asked with an amused smile. Sairento swallowed nervously before reaching for another tuna roll. Sakura blinked as she looked over the spread of food. She saw that it was a mix of sushi and some other food she couldn't identify. However, as Chimei patiently waited for her answer, the woman began to fill a plate with food for Sakura.

"Well, she said your the clan head, and t-that you're really young." Sakura stuttered out.

"Did she? Hmm, normally Sai-chan complains about me being too old." Chimei said, shooting an amused look in Sairento's direction.

"I-I do not!" Sairento defended herself, though the redness in her cheeks told of another story entirely. Sakura giggled, before blushing when she felt an unknown gaze land on her. She looked up through her bangs and found an older woman staring at her. How had she not noticed this woman before?

"Ah, Jentoru-baasama. Good morning." Chimei greeted, still smiling.

"Chimei, is this the brat you adopted?" The older woman asked, pointing at Sakura.

"H-Hey! I-I'm not a b-brat!" Sakura defended herself, already disliking this woman for that little insult. Huh, maybe being around Shino had given her a little backbone. Before Sakura could get sad about missing her friend, Chimei politely took control of the conversation.

"This is Sakura-chan, Jentoru-baasama. And yes, she is the girl I adopted."

"Huh, you've got a pair Chimei, that's for sure. Adopting a girl only an hour after meeting her, and without even asking me first." Jentoru-baasama said, pretending to be hurt about the whole thing. She even clutched the spot above her heart. Sakura took this lull to look over the woman, noting how she looked similar to Mei-kaachan. Her hair was still a jet black, but there were grey and white hairs brushed through. Her hair was short and piled into a traditional top knot on the top of her head. She had a piece of bamboo holding it in place, with a string of bells attached to the wood. Her three kimonos were very simple. A grey bottom layer with a normal collar, a black second layer that peeked through the sleeves, and a dark blue top kimono. There were no patterns on any of hers, which made Sakura curious. Jentoru-baasama's obi was a plain old grey with a black ribbon in the middle. All in all, she looked as if she had simply gotten dressed after waking up without any thought of looking special.

"Jentoru-baasama, you were sleeping. Besides, you don't care either way." Chimei said calmly, still smiling. Sakura wondered if her new mother ever frowned, or if she was always happy.

"So, have you told Sakura-chan anything about the clan, yet? Or do you want me to?" Jentoru-baasama asked, stabbing a piece of meat with her chopstick. Sakura decided that she did, in fact, like this woman. She may have come off as rude at first, but she soon found out the woman was always like this, even to her clan head.

"I was hoping to wait until after breakfast." Chimei said, her smile disappearing as she thought about whatever it was she was supposed to tell Sakura. Jentoru-baasama took this as her cue to take control for once. The older woman sighed before sitting back and giving Sakura her full attention.

"Sakura-chan, you like stories?" The woman asked suddenly. All other activity stopped as Sakura nodded slowly. "Good. Cause Chimei here has clan business to deal with, I'll be the one to tell you about the clan."

"Jentoru-baasama-" Chimei started, only to be stopped by Jentoru.

"Chimei, I'm still a clan Elder, which means I can take matters out of your hands whenever I want. Besides, you have a habit of talking a lot."

"That's because Sakura has probably never heard of our clan, so she needs someone to explain everything to her-" Chimei began, getting ready to argue with her grandmother, only to be stopped by Sakura raising her hand.

"W-What is your clan name?" She asked softly. Chimei and Jentoru shared a look, both wondering who should be the one to tell her. However, Ueta decided to speak up for the first time since Sakura appeared.

"We are the Akuma clan, Sakura-chan." He said softly, pushing his rectangular glasses back up his nose. Sakura nodded, letting that little tidbit sink it.

"Y-You're the Demon Clan?" She asked, even though she had meant it as a statement. Ueta nodded.

"Our name does, in fact, mean Demon, however, that does not mean we are demons. It means our clan has an entwined relationship with demons." Ueta explained, carefully eating his own tuna roll. It seemed everyone here particularly liked the tuna rolls. Sakura nodded slowly. Ueta took that as a sign to continue. His siblings were surprised that he was talking so much, especially to someone he's just met. Normally he's all quiet, and prefers his own company. Sakura thought that he and Shino would get along quite well, as the dark haired boy was very much the same in personality. "Our clan makes summoning contracts with demons, making us quite possibly, the strongest clan in shinobi history."

"What Ueta means, is that everybody in the clan, from the minute of birth, is paired up with a demon until their death." Chimei offered, hoping that would be a better explanation for the sweet child.

"So, you guys can summon demons?" Sakura finally asked after a few moments of thinking. Jentoru nodded, grinning. She was beginning to like this girl, especially since she hadn't freaked out yet.

"Correct, Sakura-chan. We can summon demons alright, though they don't really like it." Jentoru said, who looked around the table for some dango. She was craving something sweet.

"How come?" Sakura asked, wanting to know more. Chimei shook her head, thinking this might too much, but gave in anyway.

"Demons are different from us, in ways that most people, namely civilians, can't understand. People fear what they don't know, Sakura-chan. That's why our clan is so small, with only an average of 30-40 people as members. Our clan takes pride in the fact that we don't fear demons as monsters, but rather, respect them as creatures of immense strength and power." Chimei explained slowly, letting the girl take this all in. Sakura nodded, her eyes shining bright with a thirst for more knowledge. Chimei smiled softly, happy that she had made the right decision in adopting this child.

"Sakura-chan, it's story time." Jentoru-baasama stated, leaning her elbows on the table and giving the girl a toothy grin that was known for being scary among civilians.

"Jentoru-baasama, please remember that Sakura-chan is still young." Chimei said, going back to eating. Sakura hadn't realized, but she had apparently cleaned her plate while listening to everyone talk.

"Yeah, yeah, Chimei. I know." Jentoru said, waving her clan head off. Despite the difference in clan control, Jentoru was still the oldest, therefore the wisest. But, that didn't mean she had tact. "Okay, Sakura-chan, our clan came to be unlike any other clan out there. We were once only made up of two people. A feudal princess, and her samurai lover." Jentoru began, grinning smugly as she saw the girl's eyes get wide. Ooh, she was definitely going to enjoy having this one around. However, remembering that Chimei was still around, she made sure to keep the story clean. "At the beginning of the First Shinobi War, there lived a princess unlike any other. She was rumored to have the ability to speak with demons, and that made her a dangerous target. Her father wanted her to be safe, so he trusted his favorite samurai to protect her. Well, the samurai was the lord's favorite for a reason. He was blind, so he wouldn't be able to judge his daughter so harshly."

"Was the princess beautiful?" Sakura asked, smiling when Jentoru nodded.

"Very beautiful. In fact, a lot of people say that Chimei looks just like the princess."

"Wow..." Sakura said, seeing Mei-kaachan in a whole new light.

"Anyway, back to the story. The samurai, while blind, was a great fighter. And an even greater listener. He would listen as the princess told him about her gift, about how she felt that the demons weren't monsters, just creatures that had been misunderstood. The samurai wanted to believe her, he really did, but he couldn't. It had been a demon who took his eyes away from him, and the samurai had vowed to kill the demon. What he didn't know, was that the demon had stolen his eyes in order to give them to his sweet daughter. The princess." Jentoru was grinning widely, as Sakura's eyes widened at this new information.

"The princess was a demon?!" She asked, slamming her hands on the table to get closer to Jentoru-baasama. Jentoru nodded and laughed as Sakura said something she couldn't hear. Even Chimei was laughing.

"Not a true demon, Sakura-chan. Her mother was human, a princess just like her. Her father, the lord, was the demon. That was why the princess could speak to demons and see their true forms. It was because she had the blood of a demon in her." Chimei explained why Jentoru finally stopped laughing. The older woman wiped a tear away, still chuckling.

"What happened next, Jentoru-baasama?" Sakura eagerly asked.

"Well, the princess fell in love with the gentle and cold samurai. However, when she proclaimed her love for him, she had also told him about her demon blood. The samurai, over taken with rage and hate, gave a mortal wound to the princess. When he had realized what he had done, he couldn't take it back."

"What?! There has to be a happy ending! There just has to!" Sakura cried out, wanting the princess to be with her true love, even if he wasn't ready to accept her yet.

"Calm down, kid. Geez, you're more excited than Chimei was when she first heard this story."

"That's because, Jentoru-baasama, you have a way of making things sound worse than they are." Chimei sighed out, wondering how she had gotten stuck with this woman as her grandmother.

"It's called story telling, Chimei. Sheesh." Jentoru said, rolling her eyes. If Sakura didn't know better, she would've assumed they were like any other family out there. "Anyway, the samurai took the dying princess to her father, telling him everything. The father, at first, wanted to devour the samurai for harming his precious daughter, however, his daughter asked her father to spare the man. The samurai wanted the princess spared instead, demanding she live and he be killed. The lord, taking both requests into consideration, decided to get a little revenge on the samurai. He took the man's life and gave it to his daughter, allowing her to live. Then, he turned the samurai into a demon, a demon that would have to stay by her side until death."

"Once again, you take things too far, Jentoru-baasama. Sakura-chan, come with me." Chimei said, grabbing the little girl's hand and leading her out of the dining room. She heard Jentoru mutter something about damn story ruiners, but she could've been mistaken. She turned around and waved goodbye to everyone as Chimei slid the door shut before walking forward. She had yet to let the small girl's hand go. Chimei led her down different hallways, before finally stopping in front of two sliding doors. Chimei silently opened one and waited for Sakura to step inside. When she did, she saw a beautiful tapestry hanging on the wall. The stitching was hand done and looked exotic, like it came from a foreign land. The background was a vibrant blood red sunset, with two beings in the middle under a cherry blossom tree. The first was a frightening demon, with a black body that seemed to move and blend in with the shadows. It had a deer skull as its head, with the eye sockets empty and black. They looked completely soulless. It's shoulders were broad; its arms hanging low and nearly touching the ground. Instead of fingers, it had long, razor sharp claws that looked like they were covered in blood. It had a narrow waist; Sakura could see bones barely covered by its skin. Its legs look like those of a wolf, only they allowed it to stand like a human. In the tapestry, the demon was crouching, its arms encircling the small waist of a beautiful woman. She had ink black hair that shone against the demon's smoky body. Her skin was ivory and looked as smooth as china. Her lips were painted blood red and were curved up in a small smile that seemed to call her forward. She was wearing a long, beautiful pink kimono with sleeves that hid her hands.

"She looks just like you, Mei-kaachan." Sakura said softly, looking up at Chimei. Chimei nodded, her smile gone. "What's wrong, Mei-kaachan?" Sakura asked, worry painting her voice. Chimei shook her head slowly, as if trying to get rid of thoughts she didn't want.

"Sakura-chan, Jentoru-baasama may have a flair for exaggerating, she was speaking the truth. The samurai was cursed to be a demon forever, as punishment for hurting the demon lord's daughter. Those two there, are the princess and her cursed lover. The samurai and the princess created this clan, and the demons that we summon. The two lines are forever entwined, one always being there for the other. Sakura-chan, in order for you to be a full member of the clan, and not just an honorary one, you will have to make a contract with a demon." Chimei stated softly, though her frown made Sakura wonder if she wanted Sakura to do that. However, from what the others said, and from Jentoru-baasama's story, demons don't sound all that bad to her anymore. And maybe, she'll find a demon who'll like her despite being an apparent freak.

"Okay, Mei-kaachan. Demons don't sound all that scary anymore." Sakura said, giving Chimei a big grin. Chimei blinked before smiling back, laughing to herself as Sakura pulled on her hand, pulling her out of the room and out of her dark thoughts.

* * *

><p><em>So, what do you think? Please review and tell me your thoughts. Brownie points for the person who can guess which team I'll put Sakura on. <em>

_Translations:_

_Ryuketsu no Akuma: Bloody DemonSairento no Akuma: Silent Demon  
>Ueta no Akuma: Hungry Demon<br>Jentoru no Akuma: Gentle Demon  
>Chimei-tekina no Akuma: Deadly Demon<br>_


	3. Chapter 3

_AN: Please enjoy this little, slightly creepy, creation of mine._

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><p><span><strong>Chapter Three: A Change of Scenery?<br>**

"Are you sure about this, Sakura-chan?" Chimei asked, looking down at her grinning daughter. Even though it had been two years since that fateful night, Sakura had yet to grow out of her adorableness. And she knew it, which also meant she used it to her advantage every chance she got.

Her appearance hadn't changed much, except her hair had gotten longer, ending at her lower back in her neat braid. Her eyes were still a bright green, however the area near the pupils had darken some. Chimei knew that was a symptom of signing a contract with her demon, Senshi, who was the son of Senso, Chimei's demon. Senso also happened to be the cursed samurai, but he had all but forgotten about his old life, having taken quite a liking to Chimei and her unusual ways of dealing with people. It was no secret that she hated civilians with a passion, as they had caused her family nothing but grief for decades. Which was why she was confused as to why Sakura would want to move back to Konoha, when that place was filled to the brim with civilians. Many of the children who lived there had bullied Sakura, if she remembered correctly. So why on Earth would she want to go back?

"Yes, Mei-kaachan!" She chirped happily, closing her eyes while she smiled brightly. Damn her and her cuteness. If Chimei continued looking at her, she would surely give in and say yes to her wish.

"But why?" Chimei asked, already knowing she wasn't going to win this argument. Didn't help that everyone else was staring at her, grinning smugly. They knew she was about to give in to little Sakura. She always did.

"Because I want to be a shinobi, like Ryu-niikun!" Sakura exclaimed, shocking everyone, They had thought she simply wanted to have more friends, or live in a more urban environment. No one had expected her to say something like that.

"Is that the only reason?" Jentoru asked, stabbing a piece of dango with a chopstick. The woman was grinning lazily, considering the pros and cons of moving into a Hidden Village. There were a lot of pros, and very, very few cons. However, the biggest con was that the clan may be hated simply because of their name. And Jentoru knew that Chimei wouldn't be able to put up with that.

"Well, I also to see my old friend, Shino, again. I remember him once saying he was going to the academy, and that was back when we were four. Please Mei-kaachan? Pretty please?" Sakura begged, clasping her hands together in front of her and pouting. Chimei rolled her eyes but smiled nonetheless. Maybe the move would the best for everyone, not just for Sakura to achieve her dream. Maybe the clan could finally live under the safety of a strong leader and not have to worry about being hated every time they went into town for supplies. Chimei nodded to herself, running through everything in her head. While there were cons, the pros outweighed them by quite a bit.

"Alright, Sakura-chan. We'll move to Konoha so you can be a ninja." She was quickly tackled by the pink haired child, which caused everyone else to laugh.

* * *

><p>"Sakura-chan, you do realize you'll be months behind everyone else in your class, don't you?" Jentoru-baasama asked, even though it was a statement. She just phrased it differently so she wouldn't come off sounding harsh and cruel. Last thing she needed was for her sweet great granddaughter to start crying because of something she said. Chimei would bite her head off, or worst, she'll pretend like nothing happened and wait until later to attack her. Her granddaughter was a vindictive bitch, that was for sure. Her devious ways could rival that of an Aburame, and they were downright evil bastards. Yeah, best not upset Sakura-chan, unless she wanted something bad to happen.<p>

"I know, Jentoru-baasama. But Ryu-niikun said he would help me with whatever I needed. Sai-neechan and Ueta-niikun also said they would help. And I know you and Mei-kaachan will make sure I don't fail." Sakura stated with confidence. Jentoru shook her head. Ever since she signed that damn contract, Sakura went from being shy and nervous, to confident and talkative. However, Chimei made sure to drill manners and politeness into the girl's head; that way when she got older, Sakura would be the perfect picture of an Akuma Clan leader.

"And how will we do that?"

"By making sure to push me until I pass." Sakura chirped, just as Chimei stepped out of the Hokage's office, the picture of elegance. Sakura admired her mother, she really did. That's why she wanted to do everything she could to not only pass, but to excel in the Academy. If that meant she had to stand up to her old bullies, then so be it.

She was certain the laughter she heard in her head was from Senshi.

* * *

><p>Sakura grinned as she walked around the clan's new compound. It was just as big as the old one, and it was out of the way of the main village roads, so there wasn't any fear of being seen by people she didn't know. Even the main house was new, though in the same traditional, old style as the first. But that wasn't what made Sakura so happy. It was the fact that there were cherry trees all over and that there was a large pond near the left side of the house. Sakura was certain Hiro had already filled it with demon Koi fish. They were like normal ones, only two times larger and with three eyes.<p>

Actually, now that she thought about it, all the lesser demons had three eyes and seemed two times larger than their normal cousins.

While Sakura really wanted to explore the grounds, she knew Chimei was waiting for her in the dining hall to go over Konoha's laws and rules for it's villagers. Civilians and shinobi alike. So, after promising to explore later, Sakura lifted the skirt of her kimono and ran for the house, giggling as Senshi told her a joke about the Hokage.

Yes, she was quite certain she was going to be happy here.

* * *

><p>"Class, I would like for you all to meet Sakura no Akuma. She'll be joining our class for the rest of our time here at the Academy." Iruka explained, gently pushing the girl forward. When he had first met her and her mother, he had almost embarrassed himself stuttering over his words. Her mother had just been so beautiful, and so elegant. Not to mention well-spoken. He had high hopes for little Sakura, who looked nothing like her mother. He assumed she got all her looks from her father, even if her hair color was strange.<p>

Sakura looked at her classmates, fidgeting slightly. She was over dressed, she knew it, but clan rules mandated that she wear kimonos until she moved out of the clan compound, or she became a ninja. Which ever came first. Sighing to herself, she mentally went over her appearance, hoping she didn't stand out too much.

_'Sakura-chan~ you're going to stand out either way...you have pink hair...' _Senshi reminded her, his whisper soft and gentle, calming her nerves ever so slightly.

"Hello, I'm Sakura. I hope we all get along." She said, bowing her head demurely, like Sai-neechan had taught her. It would make her seem sweet and non-threatening. What Sai-neechan forgot to mention was that it would make her cute and attract attention. Oh well, she would learn soon enough.

As she lifted her head up, she quickly scanned the seats for one empty. She found one next to a boy wearing a grey coat with a high collar that covered most of his face, and who wore dark, circular glasses. His hair was a dark brown, almost black if looked at in the right light. Sakura felt a tugging at the back of her mind, like she knew this person, but couldn't put a name to the face. Well, what little she could see, that it. He was sitting next to a boy with a dark grey hoodie that had fur lining the hem. The hood was pulled up. The boy looked tanned, compared to the paler looking boy next to him. He had red, upside down triangles on his cheeks and his eyes were a dark brown with a pupil that reminded her of a wolf. She grinned, already deciding where to sit. She quickly walked up the steps and stopped in front of the chair next to the boy wearing glasses.

"May I sit here?" She politely asked, giving a simply smile when the boy turned to look at her. He nodded slowly before turning to face the front again. Sakura heard Senshi chuckle in the back of her mind. Why, she wasn't sure. Her demon always laughed at the strangest things.

Quickly sitting down and turning to face the front, she felt someone stare at her throughout the lesson. It wasn't an unpleasant feeling, though a little odd.

What was odd, however, was not learning the names of the boys she chose to sit next to. Well, they had six years to learn each others names, so she wasn't all that worried.

* * *

><p>"Sakura-chan!" Sai-neechan greeted her at the door of the house, grinning brightly. Sakura noted that she was wearing a fancier looking kimono than what she had been wearing earlier at the Academy. Sairento was nine now, therefore that meant she was ahead of Sakura, same with Ueta. Ryu-niikun was twelve, and he had passed a special test to see if he could become a Genin. He had passed with flying colors, which was expected of him. However, he had refused a team and simply asked to be put on the same team as his siblings when they graduated. The Third Hokage had been surprised by the request, but granted it nonetheless. Now, all that was left was to find him a Jonin sensei.<p>

"Hello, Sai-neechan."

"Guess what?"

"What?"

"Ryu-niikun's getting to meet his special sensei! And Chimei-neechan said we could meet him as well!" Sairento exclaimed, grabbing Sakura's hand before pulling her in. She raced down the hallways, stopping in front of Sakura's room before shoving the girl in with the instructions to change into something that didn't look like she had been at school. Sakura rolled her eyes at the request, but complied nonetheless. After all, she and the rest would be seeing this person for awhile, so she might as well as get to meet them in the beginning. She could only hope this person could handle her big brother, as he was a bit of a psychopath when angry.

* * *

><p>Sakura had changed out of her simple green kimono into a two layer outfit. The bottom was a solid pink with a slightly high collar, which when compared to her silent classmate's, wasn't all that high at all. The collar had green designs of grass and cat-eyes. Her top layer was a clean white with an orange dragon. The dragon started from the bottom hemline of her kimono and stretched all the way up to her shoulder. The scales had some splashes of red and yellow mixed in, but otherwise, it was mostly orange. Her obi was pink, and the ribbon in the middle was yellow. Sakura had even put her hair into a simple braid that she placed over her shoulder.<p>

She stepped out of her room and quickly followed after Sairento, who was talking nonstop about what she had learned in class today, not letting Sakura get a word in edgewise. Sakura giggled softly. Sai-neechan only did this if she was nervous, which didn't happen that often. Whoever this sensei was, they must be pretty important to make Sairento nervous.

While they walked down the hallway, Sakura looked over Sairento's kimono. Her bottom layer was white, with yellow flowers on the collar. Her top layer was ebony that shined in the sunlight. It didn't had a pattern, but Sakura knew it was Sairento's favorite because it made her eyes stand out even more. Her obi was a bright yellow that faded to white at the ends, and the ribbon she had tied around the middle was black. Sai-neechan's hair was loose and untouched, which meant Chimei had to force the girl to sit down so she could brush her unruly hair.

"Sai-neechan?" Sakura finally asked when Sairento had stopped talking in order to breathe. She looked down her with a nervous smile. "Will you feed the Koi with me after the meeting?"

"Of course, Sakura-chan." Sairento replied, taking a deep breath before sliding open the door to the main meeting room. This was for simple meetings, such as this, while the formal meeting room was used for clan meetings or other super important stuff. Sakura bowed her head at the same time as Sairento, both not wanting to appear rude to their guest. Sakura peeked through her bangs to find a monster of a man sitting across from the table. Sakura noticed that Mei-kaachan wasn't there, so that meant they were early.

The man was tan, like her classmate, but he had scars all over his face. His headband, which held the proud symbol of the village, was wrapped around his head like a bandana, probably hiding more scars. He wore a black trench coat over a dark blue shirt, but those didn't hide his broad shoulders and strong chest. He wore standard black nin pants with a weapon holster on the thigh of his leg. His hands were covered by fingerless gloves that had a metal piece over his knuckles. All in all, the man looked terrifying. But Sakura knew better than to show fear, after all, she hadn't shown any fear when meeting Senshi, and he was truly terrifying.

_'Oh, such a mean thing to say, Sakura-chan~' _Senshi purred, his voice sounding like it was right next to her ear. She knew better though, even if it was annoying. Senshi had been talking more and more to her lately, probably because of the move and everything else going on. He usually did that when something big was happening around her. Which meant he'll get bored and leave her alone for months until something else caught his attention.

"Who are you?" The man asked, his voice gruff and harsh sounding. The voice of a battle hardened shinobi, no doubt about it. Sakura watched as Sairento tensed slightly at the harsh tone. She was close to going into protective mode, which meant she would try to take on the man before them. Which was suicide.

"Sairento no Akuma and Sakura no Akuma." Someone said from behind them, causing both girls to turn around. But not before they both saw the scary man tense a little. When they saw that it was Chimei, they thought they were about to be scolded for not introducing themselves. Sakura saw her mother wearing a normal three piece outfit, but today she looked exceptionally beautiful.

Her bottom layer was a bright , solid yellow. The middle, which was only seen when she lifted her pooling sleeves, was a bright orange, that had white flowers stitched in a swirling pattern. The top layer was a soft red, with intricate swirls stitched into it. Her obi was a dark orange and tied into an elegant bow, and the ribbon was a soft pink, made to stand out ever so slightly. Sakura had never thought her mother could look any more beautiful, and yet standing before her, was an example of how wrong she could be. Her mother's hair was down and over her shoulder, with a simple cherry blossom tucked behind her ear. Like it was the only thing holding her hair back.

"Mei-kaachan." Sakura said in greeting, bowing her head slightly. Sairento followed, though her greeting was slightly different. She nodded and gave them a soft smile, before walking past them to sit down at the table and greet her guest. Sairento watched as the man followed Mei-neechan's every movement, liked he had never seen a woman before her. That made her suspicious, but in a good way.

"I'm sorry for keeping you waiting, but Ryuketsu refused to stop training for something simple like a meeting." Chimei said, nodding her head in a way that said 'what can you do'. The man nodded back, closing his eyes as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"It's fine. But if the boy wants to be taught, he needs to have respect for appointments." The man said. Chimei gave an amused grin, which the man caught when he opened his eyes again. Sairento was hoping for the man to blush, but nothing happened.

"I'm Chimei-tekina, but I prefer to be called Chimei. What is your name, sir?" She asked, showing the manners Jentoru had had drilled into her head. Right now, she was looking and sounding very much like the head of a clan, and not just as a mother and sister to four strange children.

"Morino Ibiki." The man growled out, like it was some offense to have to say his name. Sakura didn't like the disrespect he was showing her mother. She narrowed her eyes and resigned herself to glare at the man, hoping for his head to burst into flames. The man seemed to have noticed, even though he wasn't looking at her. "The brat over there is trying to burn a hole into my head."

"That 'brat' is my daughter. And Sakura-chan, show respect." Chimei scolded gently, but Sakura ignored it because she had shown some disdain for the man calling her a brat.

"Yes, Mei-kaachan. My apologies, Morino-san." Sakura said, sticking her tongue out. Chimei rolled her eyes, but hid her smile behind her sleeve like a gentle geisha. Ibiki noticed the glint of amusement in Chimei's eyes and resisted the urge to growl at the pink haired girl. She was a brave girl, he'll give her that. Defiant, too, if her going against her mother was anything to go by. The other one, however, was quiet. But her eyes held a calculating look within them, like she was trying to figure something out about him. What, he wasn't sure. "Sai-neechan, doesn't Morino-san look familiar?" Sakura suddenly asked, turning to look at her big sister. Sairento blinked and turned to look at Sakura.

"What do you mean?"

"He looks like someone from Jentoru-baasama's story. The one about the demon and the princess." Sakura said, not noticing the way Ibiki's eyes hardened at the word demon. Chimei was watching the two girls silently, wanting to know where they were going with this. She was hoping they weren't about to compare Morino-san to the demon, because that would be extremely rude and cruel. She had heard the rumors about how Morino-san saw himself. She hoped they weren't true.

"The demon?" Sairento asked, confused as to where Sakura was taking this. She didn't noticed the wave of barely concealed anger at the mention of demon.

"No, silly. The samurai! The one that protected the princess!" Sakura exclaimed, not realizing that her words were going to set many things in motion.

* * *

><p><em>Okay, so originally I wanted Kakashi to be paired up with Chimei, but the more I thought about it, the more I thought that Ibiki would be perfect. After all, he's practically demon-like in his own way, and who else would be better at teaching Ryuketsu and the others? They're all psychotic in their own ways! <em>

_Also, two more translations:_

_Senso: WarSenshi: Warrior  
><em>

_Father son demon summons. Perfect for a mother daughter duo that could easily win the hearts of every male in the shinobi verse, if they were to really try._

_Please review!_


	4. Chapter 4

_AN: Please enjoy this little, slightly creepy, creation of mine._

* * *

><p><span><strong>Chapter Four: Making Friends<br>**

Sakura had been going to the Academy for a month now, and had yet to learn the names of the boys she sat next to. It was very annoying, and she was very close to demanding to know. However, Mei-kaachan would not approve of that kind of behavior so early in the year. But if the two boys persisted, then she would resort to Ryu-niikun's level and make them tell her.

She really needs to hang out with a girl her age, or else she'll end up just as psychotic and evil as Sai-neechan. And she could not let that happen.

_'Aw, why not Sakura-chan~?' _Senshi asked, chuckling as the pinkette rolled her eyes.

'Because Sai-neechan is evil, that's why. And Mei-kaachan asked me to not turn out like her.' Sakura replied, smirking when she heard, rather than see, Senshi pout. She had to stop herself from giggling out loud, as she wasn't alone. She was in the middle of class, sitting next to the boy with the glasses, and taking notes about some hero that was dead. Sakura sighed; note taking was tedious and boring. Especially since Jentoru-baasama already told her the story about this particular hero. Jentoru-baasama had a habit of always telling Sakura story when she was bored.

Not that Sakura was complaining or anything, she was wished that her teacher would teach the same way Jentoru-baasama did. With lots of theatrics and flair. That way it would be way more interesting to learn the history of the village's famed shinobi.

_'Is someone finding out the ninja life isn't as fun as she once thought~?' _Senshi piped up, giggling when Sakura once again rolled her eyes behind her teacher's back. Senshi always had a way of talking that made it seem he was singing half the words and stretching the others. It was quite annoying, but she had gotten used to it. Or so she thought, when he decided to add. _' Kukuku, looks like you have a little admirer~ Ne, Sakura-chan? Isn't she adorable?' _Senshi asked, nodding his head towards the front of the class and to the side. Sakura moved her eyes to see who he was referring to, when she caught sight of a girl her age staring at her. When the girl found that she had been caught, she quickly turned red as a tomato and looked forward. Sakura noticed her purple tinted hair that stopped past her ears and her pearly white eyes. Sakura felt a tingle of remembrance at the eyes, but couldn't figure out why.

She shrugged her shoulders and tuned her sensei back in. He had finally looked at the clock and decided to wrap up his lesson, deciding that the kids had had enough. After all, it was almost time for lunch.

* * *

><p>Sakura followed the purple haired girl, trying to figure out where she had remembered the girl's eyes from. She was certain it had to do with a story Jentoru-baasama had told her, she just couldn't remember. And it was driving her insane!<p>

"Hey!" Sakura shouted, drawing the attention of not only the girl, but some of her classmates as well. The girl squeaked and slowly turned around, seeing Sakura's annoyed expression. She quickly turned back around and started to run, only to find herself facing the floor. She blinked and went red in the face when she realized that Sakura had tackled her before she could get away. "It's rude to run away from someone!" Sakura said, getting up and helping the shocked girl up. Sakura busied herself with dusting them both off, not realizing that they were being watched. When she was satisfied that they were clean, Sakura quickly bowed to the other girl, making her blush yet again. "I apologize for tackling you, but I really wanted to talk with you. I'm Sakura no Akuma." She said with as much grace as she could muster after attacking a fellow classmate in the hallway.

"I-I'm H-H-Hinata H-H-Hyuuga." The girl stuttered out, her fingers playing with each other as she watched the other girl. She knew who Sakura was, as everyone else in the class did. It was a popular topic among the other kids. They all wanted to know where she had come from, if she was a princess from a faraway land, if her family was just as strange looking as her. Of course, Hinata wanted to know how Sakura could be so confident no matter what she was doing. She wasn't the best when it came to throwing kunai or shuriken, but she was unmatched when it came to senbon. Her taijutsu was in need of improving and she didn't have that much chakra, and yet that didn't stop her from trying to be the best. Hinata wanted to know if she could be like Sakura one day; confident even if she failed.

"That's where!" Sakura yelled out, making the Hyuuga heiress flinch from the sudden outburst.

"F-f-f-from w-w-w-where?" Hinata asked, her stutter making her absolutely adorable to Sakura.

"Oh, Jentoru-baasama once told me a story about the Hyuuga family and their warriors, and well, I guess you eyes made me remember it. But it was so annoying trying to figure out where I had heard about them before." Sakura said, giving Hinata a bright smile. That was another thing she wanted to be, happy and cheerful.

"Oh.." Hinata said, wondering if that was all Sakura had wanted to talk to her about. She was about to walk away, when Sakura grabbed her hand and began to pull her in the direction of the school grounds. "Ah! Sakura-san! Where are we going?" Hinata cried out, forgetting to stutter as she felt the slightly smaller girl tug her forward until they were outside.

"To have lunch, silly." Sakura said, dragging Hinata off the school grounds and into the busy streets of Konoha's civilian market. Hinata was certain she would get into trouble for being here. Her father didn't approve of her being around civilians, nor did he like her making friends with civilians who thought they could be ninjas. Her father was old fashioned like that. She just knew her father would end the budding of friendship between her and Sakura, without even giving a reason as to why. "Ryu-niikun said to meet him at this nice dango shop so he could tell me all about training with Ibiki-sensei." Sakura stated, giving the blushing heiress a smile as she steered them through the crowds without a thought about hitting someone.

"Ryu-who?" Hinata asked, surprised that she didn't stutter again. This never happened when she was around her other classmates, so why was this happening now? Could it be that Sakura was so confident in herself that it was already rubbing off onto Hinata? Who had only been in her presence for a total of thirty minutes? It couldn't be, stuff like this didn't happen that quickly.

While Hinata was lost in her own thoughts, Sakura had finally gotten them to the dango shop and was excitedly waving at someone from inside. Hinata was pulled back to reality when she felt someone poking her forehead with a finger. She blinked and looked up, seeing a boy much older than her staring at her. He had red eyes, like a demon's, and red hair that was messy. The top part was messy and sticking up every which way. When he moved his shoulder to the side, Hinata saw a long, thin braid go down his back. She wasn't sure why it was there, and didn't really want to ask. The boy scared her.

"Ne, Sakura-chan, who is this?" Ryuketsu asked, poking the girl in the forehead again. Sakura rolled her eyes before pushing his finger away.

"This is Hinata, she's going to have lunch with us!" Sakura said, excitement bubbling in her voice.

"Mou, Sakura-chan!" Ryuketsu said, pretending to be sad about sharing Sakura with anyone. When in truth, he really didn't like sharing anyone in his family with anyone else. A side effect of his demon, Dai abare. Dai abare was quite possessive when it came to the clan.

"Hinata is my friend, Ryu-niikun." Sakura stated, stomping her foot in the dirt to further prove her point. She had yet to release Hinata's hand the entire time this was going on, making the heiress stare at her. Sakura really wanted Hinata as a friend? But why? They had barely spoken thirty words to each other, and this all happened today!

"Alright, alright. But only because she's you friend, okay?" Ryuketsu said, giving Hinata a terrifying grin. The girl quickly moved behind Sakura's back, not wanting his attention on her any longer.

Ryuketsu smirked as he stood up, flaring his chakra before ushering the girls inside. He knew Hinata had been followed, which meant Sakura had been followed as well. And he didn't like it when his precious Sakura-chan was followed by an unknown. The hidden Hyuuga guard stiffened as he felt the dark chakra interact with his. His skin went cold as he saw the red eye man watching him with a delightfully evil smirk.

Shit, Hiashi wasn't going to like this when he reported back. He wasn't going to like this one bit.

* * *

><p>Sakura chatted happily with Hinata, who responded a few times with a few stutters here and there as they walked back to the Academy. Ryuketsu was following them from behind, at ease and not as terrifying as before. Hinata just couldn't understand how someone like Sakura could be related to someone like him. He was like a demon, only in the form of a human. However, Sakura didn't seem to notice the aura he carried, or simply didn't care. She was leaning towards the latter.<p>

"So, Hinata-chan, what's your favorite thing about the Academy?" Sakura suddenly asked, taking a bit off of her dango stick. Ryu-niikun had been nice enough to get both girls two sticks, while he got three for himself. He knew it wasn't that great of a lunch, but it made Sakura happy and that was all that really matter. He had even taken a liking to Hinata in the short twenty minutes of meeting the girl. She was shy, awkward, and totally adorable. The perfect friend for his outgoing, stubborn, and positively precious Sakura. They balanced each other out perfectly, so Dai abare was fine with the Hyuuga heiress. It was the Hyuuga guard following them that was the problem. The man hadn't apparently gotten the message to leave the three alone, so Ryuketsu was busy planning his revenge for being disrespected like that.

"I like t-the h-history p-part." Hinata said, taking a tiny bite off of her dango. She had to admit, Ryuketsu was nice, in his own demented ways.

"Eh, it's so boring the way Iruka-sensei tells it." Sakura said, taking another bite. Hinata gasped at the admission.

"He's o-our sensei, Sakura-chan!" Hinata said, her cheeks only turning red. Apparently being in Sakura's presence for the last hour had done something significant to Hinata. It even made Ryuketsu confused. He had heard rumors that the Hyuuga heiress was painfully shy and nervous, like a mouse about to be caught. But this girl in front of him barely stuttered, and actually raised her voice above a normal level when Sakura started poking fun at her. This was not normal, not by a long shot.

* * *

><p>Sakura really wanted to sit next to Hinata after they got back, but found that she was sitting in between a loud blonde and a silent dark haired boy who didn't merit much attention. He seemed emo, and Sakura hated emos. They were annoying. However, the blonde was pretty nice, the few times he talked with her, and he made Hinata blush a deep red. He even made her faint once, when they were practicing taijutsu. Sakura had laughed a little at the memory, before going back to her seat with her last stick of dango clutched in her left hand. Her right was holding a senbon that had fallen out of her hair. It had held the majority of it out of her face, and now that it was in her hand, her hair was back in her face. She grumbled in annoyance and sat down, gently setting her stick of yummy sweetness down so she could fix her annoying hair. She wanted to cut it, but Sai-neechan had refused and had hidden all of the scissors from her. She said her hair was too cute to cut, or some other crap like that.<p>

Setting the senbon needle back in her kunai holster, which was already filled with needles and a few shuriken, Sakura resigned herself to trying her hair into a knot. While she worked, she didn't notice the boy with the marks on his face silently reach forward and snatch her dango. After tying her hair into a simple knot and letting it hang over her shoulder, Sakura smiled at the thought of eating her last dango stick when she found it gone. Suddenly the air around her got very, very cold. The boy wearing the glasses actually scooted away from her, not liking this feeling of utter and total destruction she was giving off. They both heard someone swallow loudly and both their heads turned to the side, the boy's look wasn't as murderous as Sakura's, but it might have also been because his face was partially hidden by what he wore. Sakura, on the other hand, looked like she was three seconds away from jumping across the table and strangling the boy who had dared to steal her yummy snack.

"Eheheh, sorry?" The boy asked, rubbing the back of his head as he noticed her look. His skin suddenly felt very cold and he wondered if he was going to die today. Just as Sakura slowly stood up and made her way over to him, the rest of the class and Iruka-sensei stopped what they were doing to stare at her. Iruka and the rest of the class took a collective step back, just Sakura reached forward to strangle the poor, unfortunate boy. Iruka wasn't sure if he should stop her, but he didn't have to think about that too long. As a small white puppy popped out of the boy's coat and gave a little bark. Sakura's dark look and mood suddenly shifted to one of complete and utter adoration as she snatched the puppy from the boy and began to coo pet the small thing.

"Hey, give him back-" the boy began, only to have Sakura hiss at him like a demonized cat. The boy shrunk away and the rest of the class took another step away from her. She went back to smiling and speaking softly to the small, adorable puppy. She went back to her seat, the puppy still in her arms, and turned forward to start the next lesson.

Everyone in the classroom made a collective decision: Don't steal from Sakura, or she'll go bat shit crazy on your ass.

* * *

><p>Kiba was annoyed, and a little scared of the girl who sat next to his best friend since childhood. Not only had she been close to killing him, but she had also stolen his other best friend, Akamaru. Of course, he was happy that she wasn't trying to kill him anymore, but he really wanted Akamaru back. That was his dog, dammit! And no girl was gonna steal him from Kiba! But when he had tried to get him back, that crazy girl had hissed at him! Like she was some sorta cat! And Akamaru had let her! Hmph, some best friend he was.<p>

So, Kiba had to sit through class for the rest of the day with no Akamaru to take his mind off of the boring lessons. All because of that crazy girl and her evil ways.

He was really mad by the time class had ended and was just about to take his dog back, her feelings be damned, when she got up and handed Akamaru back to him without any a single word. She just gave him a big smile.

He blinked as she left, her black kimono skirt fluttering behind her as she all but attacked Hinata and dragged the girl out of the room once again.

Kiba decided that he would never understand girls, as long as he lived.


	5. Chapter 5

_AN: Please enjoy this little, slightly creepy, creation of mine._

* * *

><p><span><strong>Chapter Five: A Special Exam<br>**

"Chimei, you can't be serious?" Jentoru asked, looking at her granddaughter like she had grown a second head. Which would've been better than what she was hearing!

"I'm dead serious, Jentoru-baasama. The Hokage and I talked it over and he agreed." Chimei said softly, looking at some of the new clothes she had purchased. They were not kimonos, or even yukatas. They were shinobi clothing. And they were not small enough to be Sakura's, so that left only one option.

Chimei was going to become a shinobi, even if it gave her grandmother a heart attack. Which she was pretty close to having.

"You don't even know the people you'll be going against! You won't have any kind of advantage!" Jentoru tried to argue, but knew it was pointless. Once Chimei made up her mind, there was no way to change it. Maybe that was where Sakura had gotten it from? Back to the topic at hand!

"That's the point, Jentoru-baasama. If I knew any of the people I was going up against, then I would have too much of an advantage. I would rather go in blind and alert, than relaxed an at ease. The latter could get me killed." Chimei stated, untying her obi and casting it to the side. Jentoru had helped raised Chimei, so it was of no issue to see the girl, nearly woman, strip down to her undergarments without a care in the world.

"Who will lead the clan should you be away on missions?" Jentoru tried a different tactic. She knew it was a low blow, but it might be the only thing to keep Chimei from dying for a village they had no roots to. However, Chimei had seen this coming and without moving her body, she turned her head and gave the older woman a wicked grin.

"You will." She said, closing her eyes in a smile.

"I will-Wait! What?" Jentoru shouted, clutching her heart. She swore it had stopped for a second.

"Yes, you. Hokage-sama and I agreed that when I become a shinobi and go away on missions, you will be the temporary leader of the clan. And to make sure the Clan Council doesn't lose their heads about you being the leader and elder, Hiro will be appointed as Elder. That way, the balance within the clan is maintained and you don't have to worry about the other clan heads breathing down your neck." Chimei said, smiling as she thought about which clan head would go nuts about this news. She was betting on it being Hiashi, that old bastard.

"You two thought of everything, didn't you?" Jentoru asked, shaking her head in defeat. It was no use, Chimei had won.

"Yes."

"What about Sakura-chan?" Jentoru asked, watching Chimei twirl around in her shinobi attire. She was wearing a light blue, sleeveless vest with a large hood dangling down her back, a fishnet shirt underneath that showed off her stomach since the vest was cropped, fishnet stockings, a black skirt with small slits on the sides that stopped at mid-thigh, with a large, red, piece of fabric covering her left leg. Her shoes were heeled shinobi sandals. The fabric covering her leg was simple, going halfway around so that the back of her left leg was also covered; the clan name written on the side in pink. Overall, Chimei looked like a regular ninja in her clan's colors. Jentoru got a sudden image of Sakura in the future, wearing a very similar outfit. She wasn't sure if she should be happy, or scared about the future.

Everyone in the clan knew Sakura would follow Chimei's shadow, even in death. That girl adored Chimei, and with good reason.

"The clan will look after her in my absence." Chimei stated softly. Jentoru nodded. This was what made the Akuma clan different from any other clan. They looked out for one another, protected each other, killed for each other. All without a second thought. Children were safe guarded and watched over, not just by their parents and siblings, but by the entire clan. It was this loyalty to one another that made them so damn deadly. If one member was hurt, you could have the entire clan out looking for your blood.

It was a fatal mistake to cross and Akuma, especially when a child was involved.

It was an even more fatal mistake to cross Chimei.

Jentoru grinned, leaning against the door frame with an evil thought in her head.

For the past five months, Ryuketsu has been training with that Ibiki guy on clan grounds in order to get ready for the upcoming Chunin Exams in Suna. Jentoru would bet her life that Sairento and Ueta would be graduating within the next month or so in order to enter with their brother. She would also bet her life on the fact that Ibiki was interested in Chimei. He may think he's good at hiding his looks, but Jentoru's been around enough to notice something like that.

She was hoping Ibiki would either be going up against Chimei, or would be watching.

"Jentoru-baasama?"

"Hmm?" She responded, pulled from her thoughts by Chimei holding her beloved katana to her chest, wondering if she should be taking this with her. She preferred to use senbon needles, but something told her to take the sword with her. She assumed that something was Senso, whispering ideas in her ear when she wasn't paying attention.

"Hokage-sama told me I could have a month to train, but I turned that offer down."

"Why?"

"Because I need to know if I can hold my own without a chance to train. If I pass all his exams, then I'll become an elite shinobi." Chimei stated. She knew she was walking on thin ice by going through with this, but she needed to do this. Many of her clansmen would follow her example, and by doing this, she would be showing them that they can do it as well. Her clan needed this, she needed this.

"Will you be sponsored?" Jentoru asked, remembering hearing rumors about a shinobi being sponsored for certain exams. Chimei nodded.

"Ibiki and a woman named Anko are my sponsors. Ryu asked the woman to sponsor me, saying she would be surprised. I hope I can prove him right." That she could prove Ibiki right.

She felt something for the silent, imposing ninja. Something she's never felt before, and it made her cautious and curious at the same time. She wasn't sure what she should do.

"Take the sword. Who knows, maybe you'll go up against a Hyuuga. You can give the poor sucker a scare if they do their freaky eye thing." Jentoru chuckled, getting an eye roll from Chimei.

"You'll impossible, you know that?" Chimei shot back, strapping a weapons pouch onto her right thigh. She carefully strapped her katana onto her back, wondering if she would be forced to draw the blade. Once the blade had been drawn, Senso would be able to manifest into this world and wreak havoc against her opponent. She didn't want to end up killing a fellow comrade, but if they push her, she will.

Seeing the determined glint in her granddaughter's eyes, Jentoru prayed that whoever went up against her, didn't force her hand.

* * *

><p>Sakura sat up straighter, feeling a tingling sensation go down her spine. She let out a tiny shiver, her eyes darting around the classroom. Iruka was still teaching, droning on about the different types of clans in the village, when he suddenly stopped and turned around, facing the class with a curious look.<p>

"Class, some of you may have heard the rumors, or were told by your parents." He started, catching the attention of everyone. Many of his students sat up straighter and looked at him, waiting impatiently.

"Hear what?" Kiba finally asked, looking bored out of his mind. Sakura glanced towards him, having learned his name a month ago after Akamaru snuck onto her lap. She also learned Shino's name, even though she had already known from years ago. Imagine her surprise at finding out that her first friend was sitting next to her for four months without uttering a single word.

She had immediately tackled him and kept telling him much she had missed him. Shino and his bugs didn't know what to do, while Kiba had simply laughed at the sight. Hinata had done her best, but failed in dragging her friend off of Shino. She had to ask for help from Kiba, who hadn't stopped laughing even as he dragged the pinkette off. When Shino was sitting up again, he gave Sakura a pat on the shoulder. He was happy to be wearing a high collar, or everyone would've seen his blush.

He had known Sakura from the moment she had stepped into the classroom, he had just been too scared to say anything.

"Six months ago, a new clan had moved into Konoha. This clan is very old, stretching all the way back to the first Shinobi War. They were originally very small, having only two members." Iruka explained. A hand immediately shot into the air. This hand belonged to Ino, the daughter of Inoichi.

"How can two people make a clan?" She asked, not realizing that Sakura was staring holes into her head. Sakura knew that Iruka was talking about her clan, so she knew he would ask her to explain. She just really hoped he wouldn't.

"Well, they were lovers, firstly. Secondly, it's said that they had many children." Iruka stated, smiling when he saw Sakura try to sink into her seat. He would call on her in a moment, but first he had to finish giving a history lesson on her clan.

"Were they a prince and princess?" Ino asked again, enraptured with the lesson already.

"No. They were a samurai and a princess." Sakura spoke up, drawing the attention of everyone. She sighed to herself and braced herself for the questions.

"Really?" A nameless girl asked, hearts in her eyes.

"Yes. The samurai was blind, because a demon had stolen his eyes. The demon needed his eyes so that his daughter could see. The samurai was hired to protect the princess, because she could see demons. She often talked with demons, because she knew that not all of them were evil." Sakura explained.

"How could she know that? All demons are evil. My dad says so." A girl named Ami said, looking arrogant. Sakura narrowed her eyes. Senshi was whispering in her ear, telling her to release him, if only for a second. She was tempted, but knew that if she did, Ryu-niikun would be on the windowsill a second later.

"Akuma means demon, idiot." Kiba snapped, rolling his eyes when the girl glared at him. Sakura shot him a grateful look.

"Kiba-kun is right, Ami-chan. Sakura, you may continue." Iruka said, hoping to stop a fight from happening.

"The princess's father was a lord, but he wasn't human. He was the demon who had stolen the samurai's eyes. But the samurai didn't know that, not until the princess had told him. She had also declared her love for him, but in his rage, he had struck her with a fatal wound. He went to her father, pleading for her life. The princess pleaded for his life. Their love was doomed, but her father took pity on both of them, in a twisted way. He turned the samurai into a demon and gave his mortal life to his daughter, so that she may live. The samurai pledged his life to her." Sakura explained in a calm and soft voice. Hinata was looking at her with wonder, Kiba in shock, Shino in silent curiosity, and Ino with hearts in her eyes.

"Doomed love and yet they ended up together anyway." Ino stated, sighing softly as she snuck a peek at Sasuke, who Sakura thought was annoying because he was spoiled.

"Yes, but they still had numerous children, many who were human, and some who were demons." Sakura explained, shooting Ami a nasty glare before she could open her mouth. "It was because of this union, that my clan came to be. We are small, but we are deeply loyal to one another. We prefer to be called family, rather than clansmen."

"Very good Sakura-chan. Now, does your clan specialize in anything?" Iruka asked, a slight smile on his face, even though he was eying her warily. He had heard the rumors, but he wanted to hear from the source. And since Sakura was the clan heir, she would be able to clear everything up.

"We specialize in assassination and summonings." Sakura stated like it had been drilled into her head. Iruka visibly paled. He hadn't expected her to know that, let alone say it out loud. Ami even paled, which was the smart thing for her to do.

"What kind of summonings?" Kiba asked. Sakura snuck a glance at Naruto, Hinata's friend and secret crush, and gave him a wicked smile. He blinked in confusion.

"Well, you won't believe me if I simply told you, so I'm going to so you!" She said loudly, sitting up and moving towards the aisle so everyone could see. Sakura moved her hands in a slow motion, making the Ram sign, then the Tiger, then the Bear. When she was done, she reached into her sleeves and produced two black fans that were completely metal. She snapped them both open at the same time and grinned when she felt Senshi materialize beside her. He was in his human form, but his blazing red eyes told the class that he wasn't fully human.

"Sakura-chan~Who are these lovely~children?" Senshi asked, chuckling darkly as he licked his lips. Sakura quickly closed her fans, making Senshi disappear. His chuckle could still be heard, though.

"Who was that, Sakura-chan?" Iruka asked, trying to hide his nervous state. The minute that...man...had appeared, Iruka had felt this immense killing intent fill the room. He was glad Sakura had made it go away, he didn't like the way it had looked at his students.

"That was Senshi, and Sakura-chan, you know better." Ryuketsu said softly, even though his tone was stressed. When he had felt the sudden surge of dark energy near the Academy, his first thought was to go protect Sakura. Sairento and Ueta would be able to protect themselves, it was Sakura he was truly worried about.

"I know, Ryu-niikun." Sakura said softly, pouting in a way that made Ryuketsu let go of his anger and sigh.

He should've known she would cause trouble, he should've known. After all, she was learning from the best.

* * *

><p>Chimei looked around the room, noting her different opponents. She had passed the Hokage's modified Chunin exam with flying colors, and had passed the Jonin test with little difficulty. She had struggled a little when facing against a man named Gai, who was consider a taijutsu master. He had nearly pushed her to the limit, but after a few well placed hits on his pressure points, she had been able to win. She was tired, and felt slightly drained emotionally, and her mind was fighting back a break down.<p>

She had gone through an Interrogation exam, with a Yamanaka inside her mind. She had to hide Senso from the very, very thorough exam, which was why she was drained. The Torture exam had been nothing special. Since her clan rarely relied on their chakra, when she had been nearly drained of it through chains, she hadn't missed it. Her clan's techniques rely on silence and disappearing, and being able to kill a target effectively without expending any energy what so ever. When she had informed the Hokage, he had asked if everyone in her clan was trained in this way. When she had told him, that yes, everyone knew how to kill, he had shown the slightest amount of concern. He had asked about Sakura and the other children, to which she had told him that children were only taught if they asked. That had made his worry disappear.

But, back to the present, Chimei wasn't sure what would happen next. She had been informed that she would be going against an ANBU level operative. This test was to be the last, and most likely the most difficult.

_'Do not worry, Chimei-hime. I will add my chakra to yours when it begins to fail you. You will not fail.' _Senso told her, his soothing voice washing over her shoulders and down her spine.

Her opponent watched as her body relaxed slightly and determination shone through her eyes. He raised an eyebrow behind his mask, wondering what had caused such a change. He had been watching her since the beginning of the special exam, noting her skills and tenacity. She had struggled against his rival, but had still managed to win by using moves that people hardly bother to learn. Her mental stability was up to question, as she had resisted slightly against Inoichi during the Interrogation. However, when they had Tortured her, she had seemed bored and unimpressed. Which meant she was either used to this, or she had suffered something great as a child.

Hmm, he wondered about the multiple scenarios and couldn't find one that fit her.

He knew who she was, and he knew just what her clan was good at.

She was young, only 16, and already the leader of her clan. She had a daughter, adopted (he had nearly had a heart attack when he heard about her having a child at 14), and three cousins who were deeply devoted to her. Her clansmen were loyal to her, and to her only, and her clan elder was her grandmother and a known assassin from times of old.

Yes, Chimei was quite the opponent, and he was ready to push her to her limits.

* * *

><p>"Ryu-niikun, where's Mei-kaachan?" Sakura asked, walking into the main dining room with her friends close behind her. Hinata, Shino, Kiba, and Naruto had followed after her once class had been over, and with Ryu-niikun's permission, she had invited them over for an early dinner. After three of them had asked their parents (Naruto had just stood there, looking miserable) they had all followed Ryuketsu back to the clan compound.<p>

It really wasn't a compound, more like a main house with other houses around it. Sakura had explained that her clan was small and that everyone was family, so they shouldn't be surprised if they heard people call her 'Sakura-chan' instead of some lofty title. When Hinata had asked why, Ryuketsu had simply replied with 'She's family' and had left it at that. Sakura promised them all a better explanation from her mother.

Which led to her confusion and worry. Her mother was always home to greet her, whether she was watching Ibiki and Ryu-niikun train, or she was talking with another clan head, or if she was simply walking around the clan grounds with a family member chatting her ear off.

So, where was she?

"Mei-neechan said something about going through a special exam to be a shinobi. Jentoru-baasama might know more." Ryuketsu said, waving his little sister off so he could lay down and rest. Ibiki hadn't been at the training ground, so Ryu had to train by himself, which wasn't nearly as fun or insightful as training with Ibiki. That man was a brick wall, nothing could get past him!

"Okay!" Sakura chirped, rushing to find her grandmother, her friends following right behind her. All except Naruto, who was staring at Ryuketsu like he had something to ask. He sat up and stared back at the boy, knowing everything that the civilians were saying about him. It made his stomach sick, to know that this child was bullied without even being told why.

"Oi, you gonna ask your question or just stare at me?" Ryu asked in a gentle voice. Naruto hid his flinch well, but not well enough. Ryu waved the boy over to him, patting his lap while giving Naruto a friendly grin. "I don't bite, no matter what Sakura-chan says." Naruto waited a few seconds before nodding and shuffling over to the older boy. He noticed Ryuketsu's hitea hanging around his neck and stared in awe.

"You a ninja?" Naruto finally asked, after sitting down in the older boy's lap. Ryu nodded, grinning in a good way. He didn't want to scare the boy any more than necessary.

"Yep."

"That's so cool!" Naruto shouted, making Ryu laugh. He ruffled the boy's hair. "One day I'm gonna be a great ninja, so great I'll become Hokage!" Naruto exclaimed, making his dream known. Ryu nodded.

"You do that, kid. And we'll be behind you the whole way, deal?" Ryu said, making Naruto look at him with hope.

"You really mean that?" He asked.

"Yeah, us demons have gotta stick together." Ryu said, tickling the little boy until there were tears in his eyes.

Ryu made a silent promise that so long as he lived, he would protect Naruto the same way he protected Sakura. No one would hurt him or say nasty to things to him again. And if they did, they would have hell to pay.

* * *

><p>Chimei ducked behind a rock, holding her bleeding arm while breathing heavily. The man she was facing (no female could be that vicious without reason) was not letting up and was quickly pushing her. She had been able to hold her own against him in taijutsu, and when they had moved to weapons, she had been able to deflect nearly all of his with ease. There were a few instances where she had to dodge instead of block, and those times probably saved her head. She had made the mistake to glance up at the watchers, and the man had used that to his advantage. With a kunai in hand, he had pushed her to the very edge of the room (more like indoor training ground) and sliced her arm quite nicely. It was a clean cut, but deep. If she didn't pass out from blood loss, she would probably pass out from chakra exhaustion.<p>

However, true to his word, Senso flooded her system with his own chakra. Chimei felt the dark and warm chakra spread out through her limbs, giving her that second wind she desperately needed.

She took a deep breath and stepped out from behind her rock, calmly walking forward at a slow pace.

The man was in the middle of going through hand signs for a fire ninjutsu, when he had felt this ominous chakra flood the area. He could sense the others tense up. He glanced towards the Hokage, but the old man was simply smiling and smoking his pipe.

He looked forward and saw Chimei slowly reach for her katana, which she had kept sheathed throughout the entire exam. So, why was she drawing it out now?

_'He senses a difference. Use that to you advantage. Do not let him use his hands for any signs. Force him into a corner.' _Senso told her calmly, chuckling when she reached for her beloved sword. Engraved into the black metal was his name. He grinned in anticipation. She was going to fill the engraving with her blood and bring him forth, like any other summon. She would give her orders and he would follow them. And when she called him back, her enemy and everyone else would see the true power the Akuma clan held. He chuckled darkly as he heard the soft sound of metal sliding against wood.

Chimei held her beloved sword in front of her, testing the weight of the blade in each hand before moving into a stance that resembled a samurai's. Her father had drilled this stance and many others into her head until she could move into them blindly with the slightest gesture from him.

She gritted her teeth together, banishing that thought from her mind. She had no need of it, not at a time like this.

"Impressive blade." The man before her said in a lazy voice. She narrowed her eyes. How dare he treat her with such disrespect. And here she was thinking she would keep Senso sealed. But now, she was seriously contemplating letting her demon have some fun. After all, it's been a good 6 years since he last got to taste blood. "Hopefully it proves to be more useful than it looks." The man baited, wondering if it work and she would lose her temper.

It did, sort of. Chimei moved out of her stance and pressed her thumb onto the top of her blade, watching as her crimson blood raced towards the silver engraving on the side. The man read the name Senso, which translated to War. He narrowed his eyes as the engraving sucked in the blood before a dark mist surrounded Chimei. It was so dark and thick that it blocked his view of her. He tensed, expecting her to make a move in his hesitance. But instead, when the mist began to take shape, he was greeted with the sight of a monster wrapped protectively around her. He felt everyone else tense in fear. Again, the Hokage didn't seem all that fazed by what he was seeing. This beast had an all black body that look smoky, with arms too long to belong. They stretched to the floor, with its fingers narrowed down into sharp claws. Its hind legs were bent and shaped like that of a wolf's. It had a very broad chest and shoulders, while its waist was thin, narrow, and looked malnourished. Its head was what made it even more unnerving. It had the skull of a deer, possibly a large deer, with soulless and empty eye sockets. But he could feel it staring at him.

Staring into his very soul and seeing all his sins with a look of glee and amusement.

He decided that he didn't want to ever face Chimei on the battle ground as an opponent.

"Chimei-hime, what are my orders?" The thing asked, without moving its lower jaw. It simply turned its head to look at her, patiently waiting. Just as she opened her mouth to give his execution, the Hokage decided to step in.

"I've seen enough, Chimei-chan. You may release Senso back to his world." Chimei nodded and gave the demon an apologetic look. It nuzzled her neck before bursting into black mist again, rushing back to the sword. Once it was gone, Chimei fell to her knees and everyone could feel her chakra levels deplete rapidly. It seemed with Senso gone, her new found chakra left with him. Before he could step forward and offer her a hand, Ibiki, Inoichi's student, was beside her in an instant. He was grumbling under his breath about her carelessness and stupidity. She simply laughed.

Since when did Ibiki rub shoulders with clan heads?

"I've decided." The Hokage declared, drawing everyone's attention to him. Chimei looked ready to pass out any minute, but forced herself to stay awake to hear his decision. It could very well decided her rank, or even her career as a shinobi. "After seeing your skills and body pushed to the very limit, Chimei-chan, I've decided that you are worthy of being among Konoha's most elite shinobi. You have proven that you can stand against any opponent, and that you can rely on your force of will alone. However, you must promise to never unseal Senso again while within the village." He stated.

"I promise, Hokage-sama." Chimei said softly, her eyelids looking heavy.

"Good. You will receive your uniform and mask tomorrow, with your team assignment. Do you have a certain preference?" The Hokage asked. Chimei's opponent looked at her, finally realizing that she had made it into ANBU by her sheer will and stubbornness alone. That took skill.

She nodded before answering.

"Assassination, Hokage-sama." She said just as softly as before. The Hokage nodded, before gesturing that Ibiki could take her away. The large, frightening man nodded and swiftly picked her up, noting that she weighed nearly nothing.

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><p><em>Whelp, there you have it. Chimei fought hard to become a shinobi, Ibiki and her want each other, Sakura made plenty of friends, and she got to interact (somewhat) with Shino. <em>

_Please review._


	6. ATTENTION

**I'm sorry to inform everyone, but I will not be able to post or update after tonight.**

**I'll be leaving for Basic Training for the Air Force on Sunday, and for three months I will not have any access whatsoever to electronics.**

**If I do, it will be to make phone calls home.**

**This does not mean, however, that I'm abandoning my stories.**

**They will be updated, just don't expect it for a long time. **

**This will be posted as a chapter on all of my stories, so as to let everyone who likes them know.**

**I apologize for starting any stories in the past week, knowing I wouldn't be able to do anything.**

**This was not my intention, so please don't be mad.**

**Apologies once again. I promise to reread everything once I get unrestricted internet again, which will probably be in three months, like I stated above.**

**That will be when I will be in Technical Training School, or Tech School.**


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